Emergency cutter to sever continuous fibrous material

ABSTRACT

An emergency cutter apparatus for a fibrous tow or roving to prevent injury to an operator caught in the tow or roving having a member through which fibrous material passes at the entrance of the feed inlet and which, when moved in the direction of movement of the fibrous material, actuates a cutter which severs the material downstream of the entrance.

United States Patent Thomas Jan. 21, 1975 EMERGENCY CUTTER T0 SEVER 2,202,843 6/ I940 Edwards 83/68 O IN O FIBROUS MATERIAL 3,435,648 4/1969 Bergstrom et al. 425/l36 X [75] Inventor: William E. Thomas, Bartlesville,

Okla Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear [73] Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company,

Bartlesville, Okla.

[22] Filed: May 24, 1973 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 363,486

An emergency cutter apparatus for a fibrous tow or 52 us. ca 425/151, 425/136, 83/58, roving to Prevent j y to an Operator caught in the 33/ 2 33/ 3 tow or roving having a member through which fibrous [51] Int. Cl 829i 3/10 material Passes at the entrance of the feed inlet and [58] Field of Search 425/114, 136, 151; 83/58, which, when moved in the direction of movement of 33/62 63 the fibrous material, actuates a cutter which severs the material downstream of the entrance.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l899 Dicks et al 83/68 X 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENIEBJAHZI 1975 3.861 .842

SHEET 10F 2 EMERGENCY CUTTER TO SEVER CONTINUOUS FIBROUS MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an emergency cutter for a tow or roving. In one aspect it relates to an extruder for producing a plastic material containing reinforcing fibers.

In handling fiber tows or rovings which are fed into machinery it is important to provide emergency apparatus to protect workers in the vicinity. One having a piece of clothing or a part of his body, for example a hand, caught in a roving can be severely injured as the roving is pulled into the machinery. For example in the formation of pellets of thermoplastic material containing reinforcing fibers wherein the thermoplastic material is fed into an extruder into which also is fed a roving, the operator can be injured if caught by the roving and pulled against the feed inlet for the roving into the extruder.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION An object of the invention is to prevent injury to personnel in the vicinity of a tow or roving which is being fed into machinery. Another object of the invention is to feed a roving or tow into a piece of machinery without danger to operating personnel. Another object of the invention is to cut a tow or roving which is being fed into a piece of apparatus.

According to the invention there is provided feed means for a tow or roving including a cutter to traverse the path of the tow or roving and actuating means adjacent the inlet thereof through which the tow or roving passes, said actuating means being movable in the direction of movement of the tow or roving to actuate power means for the cutter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing FIG. I is an elevation partly cut away and partly in cross section of a feed means according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of a combination according to the invention including an extruder having mounted thereon a feed means of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, the feed means comprises a hollow feed inlet, a cutter blade movable to traverse the open area of the feed inlet, power means to move the blade and actuating means for the power means.

The hollow feed inlet is indicated generally by the reference numeral 11. The feed inlet comprises an outer feed tube 12 and inner feed tube 13. Inner feed tube 13 is attached to a piece of machinery 14 by a plate 15 welded thereto and held in place on machinery 14 by a lug 16 and bolt 17. A support plate 18 is held against flange 19, attached to inner feed tube 13, and in contact with the lower portion of clamping plate 21 which in turn holds flange 22, attached to outer feed tube 12, by means of bolts 23 and 24.

Cutter 26 is mounted to traverse the open area between outer feed tube 12 and inner feed tube 13 and is attached to a power means generally indicated by the reference numeral 27.

Power means 27 comprises an air cylinder 28, the piston of which is attached to cutter 26 by shaft 29.

Power means 27 also includes a pair of solenoid valves 31 and 32, each of which is a three-way valve to connect pipe 33 and pipe 34 to pressure or exhaust depending upon the position of the respective valve.

The actuating means comprises a tubular member 36 slidably mounted on the outside of outer feed tube 12 and held in place thereon by means of screw 37, the outer cylindrical portion of which slides in slot 38 in member 36. An electrical switch 39 is mounted on clamping plate 21 in a position to be actuated by flange 41 which is attached to tubular member 36. A spring 42 is positioned around outer feed tube 12 between clamping plate 21 and flange 41 thereby biasing that member outwardly.

In the apparatus of FIG. 2 an electric motor 51 drives shaft 52 through gear box 53, shaft 52 in turn is coupled to the outer end 54 of an extrusion screw by means of coupler 56. The screw (not shown) is rotatable within barrel 57 of the extruder. The extruder also includes a feed hopper 58 and feed inlet means 59 of the same type as illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the operation of the feed inlet means illustrated in FIG. 1, as a tow or roving is passing therethrough into a piece of machinery 14, if any object which will not pass readily into outer feed tube 12 is caught within the moving tow or roving or when an object which will not move readily into feed tube 12 is pulled by some object caught by the tow or roving said object contacts the outer face of tubular member 36. As the tow or roving moves further into the machine, the tubular member 36 is moved against the force of spring 42 to move flange 41 to actuate switch 39 thus energizing solenoid valves 31 and 32 to apply pressure against the outer portion of air cylinder 28 thus moving shaft 29 and cutter 26 across the open area between outer feed tube 12 and inner feed tube 13 thus severing the tow or roving.

Of course many modifications and embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. Although the actuating means in the form of a tubular member slidably mounted on the feed tube as illustrated herein is an important part of the invention, in a broader aspect other forms of apparatus can be used to perform this function, for example the actuating means can be in the form of a pivoted member having an eye aligned with the inlet tube whereby, when an object being pulled by the tow or roving contacts it the pivoted member is moved about its pivot point thus actuating the cutting means. The cutting means per se can be actuated by air or hydraulic fluid, by an explosive device, or by other mechanical means. Air or hydraulic valves can be directly actuated by movement of the actuating means.

I claim:

1. Feed means comprising:

a hollow feed inlet for a continuous fibrous material;

a cutting means downstream of the entrance of said feed inlet and movable to traverse the open area of said feed inlet; and

actuating means comprising a member extending upstream from said entrance and through which said fibrous material moves in entering said feed inlet, said member being supported adjacent the entrance of said feed inlet and being movable in the direction of movement of said fibrous material into said feed inlet and when so moved to actuate said cutting means to traverse said open area and sever said continuous fibrous material.

4 member is biased outwardly by a spiral spring.

4. Feed means according to claim 3 wherein said power means comprises a power cylinder actuated by solenoid valves and an electrical switch, said switch being actuated by said annular flange.

5. The combination of claim 1 further including an extruder for extruding plastic material, said feed means being attached to said extruder to feed said continuous fibrous material into the barrel of said extruder. 

1. Feed means comprising: a hollow feed inlet for a continuous fibrous material; a cutting means downstream of the entrance of said feed inlet and movable to traverse the open area of said feed inlet; and actuating means comprising a member extending upstream from said entrance and through which said fibrous material moves in entering said feed inlet, said member being supported adjacent the entrance of said feed inlet and being movable in the direction of movement of said fibrous material into said feed inlet and when so moved to actuate said cutting means to traverse said open area and sever said continuous fibrous material.
 2. The feed means of claim 1 wherein said cutting means comprises a cutting blade movable to traverse the open area of said feed inlet and power means to move said blade to traverse said open area; and said actuating means actuates said power means.
 3. The feed means of claim 2 wherein said actuating means comprises a tubular member slidably mounted on the outside of said hollow feed inlet, said tubular member having an annular flange on the lower portion thereof to actuate said power means and said tubular member is biased outwardly by a spiral spring.
 4. Feed means according to claim 3 wherein said power means comprises a power cylinder actuated by solenoid valves and an electrical switch, said switch being actuated by said annular flange.
 5. The combination of claim 1 further including an extruder for extruding plastic Material, said feed means being attached to said extruder to feed said continuous fibrous material into the barrel of said extruder. 